Friday, September 04, 2009

One, Historical Collections & Archives will be closed Monday for Labor Day. True to form, Oregon's holiday weather is predicted to be rainy, so provided we don't all develop pneumonia while out desperately engaging in our favorite outdoor pursuits, we'll be back on Tuesday.

Dr. Brian Morrison received his medical degree from the University of Illinois School of Medicine in 1987. He completed his internal medicine training at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, a fellowship of cardiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School, and a senior clinical fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. He spent a year at the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center at the University of California at Los Angeles, serving as an instructor and staff physician. He joined Cardiology Consultants in Medford in 1998. Dr. Morrison also has an appointment as Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at OHSU. He specializes in pediatric and adult congenital heart disease and in acquired adult cardiac disease, and is an expert in transesophageal echocardiography and nuclear cardiology imaging techniques.

In addition to his interest in history, Dr. Morrison is an avid collector of rare and antiquarian medical books. He will be bringing some volumes from his private library to share with attendees after the presentation.

The lecture is free and open to the public. If you have a disability and need an accommodation to attend or participate in this event please contact Sara Piasecki (503-418-2287) at least five business days prior to the event.

(and if you can't join us, keep an eye out for the streaming video of the talk, available a week or so after the event.)

Thursday, September 03, 2009

More than it used to. This photograph of the entire administrative staff of the University of Oregon Medical School was taken in October 1939 (when it included the nursing school, but was not yet affiliated with the dental school). From left to right, we have:

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

In celebration of the 200th birthday of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., (belated: we slept in on August 29), we offer this piece of Holmesiana (and Osleriana and Cushingana) from the OHSU History of Medicine Collection.

The provenance note reads: "From the library of O.W.H. and given H.K. Cushing by Dr. Wm. Osler, and by H.K.C. to Mrs. W.E. Cushing June 8th 1907." Henry Kirke Cushing was the son of legendary surgeon Harvey Cushing. The item was likely given next to J.F. Ortschild, who studied with Cushing at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital before coming to Oregon. Ortschild apparently never practiced in Portland because of poor health, but he was a very strong supporter of the library at the University of Oregon Medical School and donated many of the classics now in the collection here. Upon his death, his sister Viola donated the remainder of his library.

For further reflections on Holmes, check out "Dr. Holmes at 200 — The Spirit of Skepticism" by C.S. Bryan and S.H. Podolsky in the August 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

When adding notes on the contents of the Collected papers of R.C. Coffey, to December 31, 1923 and finding ourselves muttering "Oh, that sounds interesting!" at every other article title, we begin to wonder whether we missed our calling as a surgeon or whether we've simply been working here too long.

Of course, there's always the third possibility: there really are some interesting things in this compendium, assembled by the author and donated by him to the library on July 31, 1924. Coffey was himself an interesting character, as we've mentioned before, and an accomplished surgeon. So, it's not surprising that this collection covers a lot of ground: new techniques for established surgeries, ideas for new surgeries, early use of radiation in cancer treatment, even new surgical equipment (see "Needle holders and needles - a needle holder with normal curve jaws, curved needles with round shaft").

Coffey's piece on the "Psychology of habit in surgical technique", published in the Sept. 6, 1902, issue of JAMA, is a reflection on surgical education and the dangers of blind habit: "Habit is a part of nature herself; is always true, therefore nothing can be safely delegated to habit which is subject to change. A surgical operation cannot be delegated to habit because we rarely find two conditions exactly alike. It always requires reason."

The unexpected "List of prominent surgeons and gynecologists over the United States" is just that, in the form of a small booklet (10.5 x 15 cm.). In the "Introductory", Coffey explains that "Some months ago, I desired to write surgeons in every state of the union, but found it impossible to find such a list. I therefore sent out several hundred copies of the following letter to men of established reputation in different states: ..." Since Coffey was based here in Oregon, we think that he must have personally compiled this state's list; it's interesting (again with that word!) to see whom he thought worthy of inclusion.

You can test your own fascination level: the complete contents are below. This fat bound volume (10.5 cm wide) has now been transferred from offsite storage to the Pacific Northwest Archives Collection.

Table of contents:

Stomach and duodenum:Gastric surgery of the present daySurgical treatment of ulcers along the lesser curvature of the stomachA plea for more direct methods in dealing with gastric ulcers and cancerChronic gastric and duodenal ulcerGastro-enterostomy still the treatment for chronic gastric and duodenal ulcer

Intestine and rectum:A crushable button as an aid to suturing in intestinal anastomosisThe relative merits of the various methods of intestinal anastomosisA preliminary report of results with extravisceral ligature in entero- and gastro-enterostomyExtravisceral rubber ligature in gastro-enterostomyIntestinal intussusceptionRemote or indirect subperitoneal drainage in the extra-peritoneal closure of persistent faecal fistulaeWhat shall we do with far advanced cancer of the large bowelCancer of the gastro-intestinal tractThe major procedure first in the two-stage operation for relief of cancer of the rectumThe two-stage operation in abdominal surgery: a many-stage operation for making and closing a temporary or therapeutic ileostomy openingA permanent colostomy or enterostomy which may be closed by an extraperitoneal operationTreatment of cancer of the rectum

Ptosis and stasis:Gastroptosis: a method of suspending the stomach in a hammock made of the great omentumPtosis of the abdominal and pelvic organsIleosigmoidostomy with obliteration of the ileocecal communication, for the treatment of ulcers of the colonSurgical treatment of ptosis of the stomach and colonThe principles underlying the surgical treatment of gastro-intestinal stasis, due to causes other than strictural or ulcerative conditionsThe significance of the fixation of certain abdominal organs in the human bodyFundamentals of the ptosis questionThe relation of right-sided abdominal pain to right-sided diseaseMonograph on "Gastro-enteroptosis" published by D. Appleton and Company, New York City, 1923

Gynecology:The treatment of accumulations of pus in the pelvisRetro-displacement of the uterus ; Ventro-suspension of the uterusSuture of the solid visceraContribution to the surgery of pyosalpinxExcision of a v-shaped piece of the posterior uterine wall for anteflexion of the cervix, with the aid of an intrauterine holderThe principles on which the success of the surgical treatment of retro-displacements of the uterus dependsPlication of the round and anterior fold of the broad ligament on the anterior surface of the uterus for retrodisplacementSurgical treatment of acute gonorrhoeal tube infections with a quarantine packRadium as a therapeutic agentThe relative fields of radium, surgery and cautery in treatment of cancer of the cervix

Uretral [sic] implantation:Submucous or physiological implantation of ureter into the large intestineTransplantation of the ureters into the large intestine in the absence of a functioning urinary bladder

Clinics:Surgery of the large bowel - clinic held before a group of invited surgeons at the Portland Surgical Hospital, Portland, Oregon, Febr. 24, 1921Report of a clinic held at the Portland Surgical Hospital, Saturday, October 14, 1922Report of a clinic held at the Portland Surgical Hospital, February 8, 1923, with a discussion of the unfortunate lot of the cancer patient

Miscellaneous:The importance of proper temperature in the administration of salt solution: an accurate method of determining temperaturePsychology of habit in surgical techniqueNeedle holders and needles - a needle holder with normal curve jaws, curved needles with round shaftList of prominent surgeons and gynecologists over the United StatesThe present status of the treatment of appendicitis: the family physician's responsibilityThe principles and mechanics of abdominal drainagePresident's address - organization and centralization of medicine and surgery of the NorthwestIntestinal obstruction produced by a gauze sponge within the lumen of the free intestineImpressions gathered on a recent trip to some of the surgical clinics of Europe and AmericaAbdominal adhesionsIntravisceral and intra-abdominal pressureThe acute abdomenTreatment of cancerous and precancerous lesions - importance of educating the publicIntra-abdominal and intravisceral pressure

Monday, August 31, 2009

We recently received another accrual to the School of Nursing Records (partial collection guide available online), all voluntarily deposited to the archives by the impressively proactive and historically-minded administrators there.

These eleven boxes include an enormous amount of information about the school and its programs, containing as they do all the materials collected for the National League for Nursing accreditation process. A major force behind program development within the school during the 1990s was the Statewide Integrated Nursing Education System, or SINES, that brought together the various campuses of the OHSU School of Nursing--at Eastern Oregon State University, Southern Oregon State University and the Oregon Institute of Technology--into a coordinated education service for students across the state. You can hear a little bit more about the SINES program in the oral history interview with Mary B. McFarland, Ed.D. (index here).

Also included in this accrual is a whole storage carton of VHS videocassettes, some promotional videos and others collections of clips of media coverage. Complete information on current holdings of SON records can be obtained by contacting us directly at homref[at]ohsu.edu